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Sword
Swords were one of the most common weapons in Alagaësia. There were many types of swords such as the hand-and-a-half sword, Rider's sword, rapier, falchion, flamberge, and dagger. The Hûthvír is a staff/sword weapon. The person that wielded a sword often named it. The elf, Rhunön was a well known swordsmith. The Ra'zac used swords. Naming Swords throughout the Inheritance cycle are shown to have names, such as Zar'roc or Naegling. As Fredric mentioned, the sword of a famous warrior would almost always have a name. This was due to the fact that as the warrior gained fame, so did his weapon. The soldier's prowess in battle would be reflected upon his weapon. Therefore, a warrior's sword would be named whether or not the warrior wanted it. Either he would name it himself, or the bards would come up with a name for it. Either way, the sword's name would spread, the weapon becoming almost as famous as the soldier who wielded it. Advantages Swords were versatile and effective weapons on the battlefield. They could be wielded easily from foot or horseback and were capable of engaging a myriad of enemies. The many different varieties of swords allowed swords to be used for a wide array of tasks and missions. Flamberges and broadswords could be very effective against heavy infantry and even cavalry. Long swords were very effective infantry weapons and side-arms. Compared to other weapons swords were relatively light and quick weapons, possessing greater mobility than spears or maces. Since they had both long blades and sharp points, swords could be used to slash, hack or stab enemies, unlike spears which were mainly for stabbing or axes which were mainly for hacking. Swords could be used offensively or defensively and a skilled swordsman could use a sword for both purposes. Since swords could be carried in a sheath on the hip or back, they could also be carried as a secondary weapon, or as a backup. Disadvantages The main disadvantage when it came to swords was their short reach. Since swords were shorter than spears they were not well suited for engaging large groups of enemies or cavalry, as a swordsman had to get quite close to an enemy to engage him/her. Unlike spears or halberds, swords could not keep enemies at a distance and a swordsman could be overwhelmed by multiple enemies. Most swords were also not particularly effective against cavalry, as a sword would have a harder time reaching a mounted soldier. However, the high mobility of swords made them good weapons for mounted warriors and swords were very good for one-on-one combat. Notable swords * Zar'roc - wielded by Morzan, Brom, Eragon, and later Murtagh * Naegling - wielded by Oromis * Durza's sword - wielded by Durza * Brisingr - wielded by Eragon * Undbitr - wielded by Brom * Arya's first sword - wielded by Arya * Tamerlein - wielded by Arva, Naudra and later refitted for Arya See also * Sword de:Schwerter fr:Épée pl:Miecz ru:Меч